It Had To Begin Somewhere
by Isabella Adele
Summary: *CHAPTER 9 REVISED* This is a story about the Joker before he became what he is. Adrian and her family moves to Gotham where she meets Jack Napier. What can come of this?
1. Moving

"Did you see a box that had CD's written on it in BIG red letters?" I couldn't find the box I was looking for anywhere.

"Nope. Try looking in the truck, lazy." God, why did Maria have to be such a smart ass all the time? Her (dyed) black hair almost whipped me in the face as she spun to go back out to the truck. I didn't want to go back out to the truck with our new neighbors staring us down and the ape men that drove the truck here. Weren't the movers suppose to bring our stuff in?

I didn't want to be here. Sure the house was nice and all but I miss our old house and all my friends. My life to this point was spent in Long Island. I guess that isn't much. Only fourteen years...but I wasn't use to change. My dad is a cop and his job moved him here. There wasn't much going on where we're from, so he was transferred here, to Gotham.

"Adrian!!!" Oh god, what do they want? "Are you going to help or sit on your butt and let us do all the work?" Hehehehe that's a hard question.

"Let me get back to you on that!" I thought it was funny but I guess my mom didn't. She was a skinny little Italian woman with a short temper. Dropping a heavy box on the floor after coming in, she looked up at me with a red face.

"Oh hell no. What do you think this is?!" A little boney finger poked at my chest. I had about 2 inches to her 5'1 height. I knew she ment business and I didn't feel like getting on her bad side so I decided I might as well help out...a little.

The ape men carried in all the heavy furniture and we brought in the boxes. Maria seemed to have a million boxes, I swear! My brothers' Angelo, Tony and Frankie were helping her get all her junk in. I'm sure as hell not helping her. She's been giving me a nasty attitude for the past few days and that will just not do. I'll just take my stuff to my room and be done with it.

I didn't have too many boxes. Unlike the rest of my family, I only kept around what I wanted or needed. That's all. Besides the basement, there were only two floors in our house. My bed was already set up in one of them on the second floor. Finally, I get to have my OWN room! No more Maria taking up the entire room with her junk! This is going to be great...I guess.

My room was a cute little minty greenish-blue color with a fluffy dark blue rug. There also was a little bathroom connected to it too. Maybe this whole moving thing won't be so bad?

All my boxes were set in the corner of my room where I planned on leaving them till my mom bitches at me to unpack. Till then, it doesn't matter to me.

I can hear Frankie in the room next to mine. He was a little over a year older than me. So is Maria on account of them being twins. Frankie was a man-diva with blond tips. He always wore tight jeans and a preppy shirt. "Ow! Bitch uh." Clumsy fruit basket. Probably trying out his little cat-walk again. These usually end up badly since he has no balance.

The box labeled "bedding" was the first one torn open. Have to do it sooner or later so what the hell. It seemed like the day was going by quick now that we're all getting settled in our rooms. I figure I'll just lay in bed till someone makes me get up. Buttttt till then I'll be here,

Suddenly, a pillow smacked right into my face. "What the...." Angelo was standing over me. He was the oldest of us, 18 now.

"Ayo, mom wants us down for dinner." One thing this big brute liked was messing with his younger sibling.

"No. Go. Away. I'm not hungry." No point in arguing with the guy. To me, he was an ape. A big guy, with a big mouth, and a tiny brain. Mom likes sending him up after us cause she knows he'll get the job done.

"That sucks but you're coming down just like everyone else. I already made my runs around the rooms and you're my last job." Damn, he already got everyone else on the list. Being the smart person I am, I just followed him downstairs without giving him a fight like most of the others did, especially the youngest, Tony. He's a smart mouth little punk.

When I got downstairs, everyone was sitting down at the table including my dad. He was in his late fourties and started balding. Don't get me wrong, he was a tough guy. He'd lay a smack down on all of our asses.

No one really said much. We were all pretty tired after a long days work of unpacking (heh). As soon as I was done, I put my dishes in the sink and headed up tp my room for some much needed sleep...


	2. Liz and Sherry

"Hey...hey...Wake up!" A pair of hands we shaving me out of my sleep. I looked up to see Maria already dressed with her make-up on.

"Go away. I'm sleeping..." The room was dark except for the bit of light shining through my curtains on my sisters annoyed face. With a sigh, she yanked all my covers off.

She wasn't going to leave me alone. "Adrian, come on. Just get up! Get your ass in the shower and get dressed. We have company. The people living next door came over with their daughters to meet us. It'll be nice for us to make some friends around here, eh? Quite frankly, you look like shit so hurry up and jump it the shower."

Ugh, this bitch... I guess I might as well. What do I have to loose? "Fine, just shut up." A wide smile spread across Maria's face. She just lovedddd getting her way.

I quickly showered and got dressed. Since I didn't unpack my boxes, I tore right into some of them looking for something to wear. Pair of jeans...white Aero shirt...some white flip flops...ok. My brown hair fell down my shoulders still a little damp.

Downstairs, there was my family and the neighbors sitting in the living room chatting away. There was four people in their family including their two kids Liz and Tyler. Liz was a skinny tall blond girl around my age and Tyler was an older blond guy with a strong build. Him and Angelo were fast friends. The parents were both blond and thin-ish. The dad was a banker and mom a nurse. Liz brought her friend Sherry with her who was short and had dark hair.

While my parents were entertaining their parents, us girls decided to go outside and walk around.

"So where you guys from?" Liz was a pretty girl with blue eyes. She seemed excited about having girls around her age living next door.

"Long Island. Our dad got transferred here since there wasn't much going on there," Both girls slightly giggled. "What? Why you laughing?" Maria began taking defense. Sherry looked up at her with an innocent look in her eyes. "Oh nothing. There's just a lot of stuff that goes on around here. We live in the safer area thank god but there's a lot of crime in this city. Gang stuff according to my dad."

Wanting to change the subject, I began asking them about people around here. Like who should we watch out for, who are the people I want to befriend, innocent stuff. They both began giving us the download on what it's like here. It was the typical preppy girls stuff, don't hang with people who wear all black or are loaners or don't meet the popular kids standards blah, blah, blah.

There was a slight breeze that felt so good. After walking around for what seemed like hours talking about random stuff, Sherry stopped. "Hey why'd you..." Sherry and Liz stopped in front of a small house with an unkempt yard. Liz lowered her voice. "There's this kid that lives here named Jack. He's real weird. Doesn't really talk to no one at school. Heard his dad's an alcoholic..."

"Hmm.... that sucks." Of course Maria would say that. She didn't sympathize people. "Lets just go."

Speaking about that, school starts next week. Schools out for spring break here, not that I have a problem with that. At least I have time to try to settle in this damn place...


	3. Jack

Today's the first day for me and Marie at Gotham Jr./Sr. High School. Liz and Sherry come over early to walk with us. They're real nice to us.

The school was a lot bigger than the one I use to go to. Liz introduced me to a lot of her friends who seemed to like me. The thing about her and her friends is that they all seem to dress and kind of act alike. That doesn't bother me since they're nice.

We all sat together during lunch. At my old school, we only ate in the cafeteria. Here you eat outside unless it snows or rains. That doesn't bother me because it's really nice out. The girls welcomed me, asked me about myself, then began talking gossip. Typical gossip like "Did you hear what happened with Amy and Jake?" Or "Did you see what Dawn was wearing?!"

Not interested in what they were talking about, I just looked around the courtyard at all the new faces and nodded every so often to make it seem like I was listening. Hehehe. I'm just good like that.

Looking around I noticed that everyone was sitting in groups. Well, almost everyone. Under one of a handful of trees, there was a young guy sitting by himself. I couldn't really see his face but I see his wavy dark blond hair and black t-shirt. The jeans he had on were worn and sneakers a bit raggedy. Why was he sitting all by himself? Who was he?

"Adrian...Adrian?" A hand started waving in front of my face. I looked away from the guy to one of Liz's pudgy looking friends with red hair named Lucy. "What are you looking at?"

"That guy over there...who is he?" The girls I was sitting with all looked over at the loner and raised an eyebrow. Lucy made a ewwwww face.

"That's Jack Napier. He's a weirdo. All he does is sit by himself or read. He don't look too clean neither. There's a bunch or rumors about him like he's a serial killer or gay. Maybe even both!"

Lucy sounded like she may have come to a conclusion about the guy: He was a gay serial killer.

"Ummm.... Did any of you even talk to him before?" Some of the girls started cracking up. "What?"

"HE'S not like US. Not exactly the kind of guy I'd want to be associated with." It seemed Lucy and Liz found the idea of talking to him being hilarious.

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For the next two weeks during lunch, I'd look over at Jack and wonder about him. Was there any truth to what they said? I just felt the urge to walk over and sit down next to him. What was stopping me? The truth is that I don't know how he'd react. Ugh....

Today at lunch, Jack was sitting under his usual tree reading something. I don't want to disturb him...

I hold my breath and walk across the courtyard and sit next to him under the tree. Jack doesn't even look up at me and just keeps reading. What do I do?! "Uh hi. I'm Adrian..." Still doesn't look up at me. Maybe he's deaf? Or just ignoring me.

Looking at my table, a bunch of eyes are staring at me. Liz shakes her head and Sherry gives me a "What the hell are you doing?!" look.

Shrugging, I look back to Jack and see him looking towards my lunch table.

"What do you want?" His voice was slightly deep even for his age and kept his sight on the table.

"I just came over here to talk to you...and say hi." Slowly he turns his head towards me. He had a handsome face with amazing golden brown eyes.

"Sure. What did you're friends send you over here on a dare or bet?" An angry look spear across his face and suspicion filled his eyes. Before I could even try to explain to him that I just wanted to talk to him because he was always sitting alone, he grabbed his book and abruptly walked away.

"Hey! Wait! Don't leave..." He kept walking and didn't look back. Fine.

Stomping my way to my lunch table, the girls were giggling. "Why are yous' laughing!" They were pissing me off royally.

Liz leaned across the table to me and lowered her voice trying not to break out laughing. "Told you he was a weirdo. He's a gay serial killer! Just stay away from him.

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After school I decided to walk home by myself going over what happened today. Did I do something wrong? Was it something I said? Maybe it's not me.

When I got home, Angelo and Tyler were wrestling on the floor. They had a lot in common like wrestling, fighting, eating, etc. Oh, and they're both very loud. Instead of sitting around listening to their grunts and name calling, I'll just take a walk around by myself. It's a nice day out and I could use some fresh air.

A few blocks from my house, there's a little canal with a tiny wooden bridge from one side to the other. Maria and I walked here a few times when we got bored sitting home. I sit on the edge and let my feet dangle. It's so nice out here so I lay back and relax while feeling the warmth of the sun on my face.

"Hey..." Hearing a familiar voice I open one eye. I didn't even hear him come up. Jack stood looking down at me. A million questions hit my mind. I patted him to sit down next to me.

"I'm sorry about leaving so quickly. I didn't even give you a chance to say anything. When I saw you looking over at your friends I just thought...." I just raised an eyebrow at him.

"Look Jack, I saw you sitting by yourself and I was just curious." His eyes had a bit of coldness to them. It unnerved me. "Not as a joke or a prank.."

After looking own in the water for a few minutes, he looked back at me. "Seeing the people you hang out with, I wasn't sure." My friends? "They usually try to do stupid stuff like that."

"I haven't seen that side of them yet. Ok, how about this. Earlier never happened. Let's start over from the beginning." I coughed a little. "Hi, my name is Adrian. What's your name?" He smiled.

"Jack."


	4. Freaky Friend

**Hellooooo readers. I hope you're enjoying my story ^_^. Questions, comments, suggestions? This is my first fanfic so I want all the advice I can get. Thanks.**

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"Why's your sister hanging out with that weirdo?" Why do they insist on talking about me like I'm not here?

"Liz. You do realize that I'm in here right?" I poke my head out of the kitchen to give her and my sister a dirty look. The skinny blond had a smug look that I'd love to smack off her face.

"....Yeah I know. I just don't understand why you can't be a _normal_ person and hang out with _normal _people. What do you just feel bad for the guy or something?" Maria put her head down with a grin on her face waiting for me to explode. She know I was defensive when it came to Jack.

"No! And by the way, there's nothing wrong with him! None of you like him because he doesn't act the way you think he should. Have any of you ever give him a chance?! I don't think so." I felt my face becoming red and my heart pounding hard against my chest.

"Get your head out of your ass Adrian!!! You barely even know him. He's a _freak_. A broken down loser who separates himself from everyone else. He did it to himself." Liz stood up yelling her face also becoming reddish. "You know, we were all getting along pretty good till you started hanging out with him. You've changed......"

Maria sat on the couch watching us yell back and forth at each other while twirling her hair with her finger. She enjoyed watching arguments and fights as long as she wasn't involved in it.

Angelo and Tyler must of heard us from upstairs even though they had Angelo's radio blasting. Liz did have a high pitched voice that became piercing when she yelled. They hurried down the stairs with Frankie and Tony sounding like a stampede of buffalo.

"Wha the hell's goin' on?!" One thing Angelo hated was being interrupted while working out in his room. He's a big guy (or as I like to say an ape) and is really into the whole New Yorker-Italian accent thing.

"Nothing. Liz and Adrian are arguing....again." Tony, the youngest, had a very annoyed and tired look to his young face. By the looks of it, he just woke up. He raised an eyebrow at Maria.

"Then why the hell don't you shut them up? Why are you just sitting there? I hate this shit so much!" Then he turned to Liz. "Why don't you mind your own damn business for once and leave Adrian alone. If she want to cut all her hair off and become a nudist, then fucking let her!" For a 12 year old he has a pretty foul mouth on him from hanging out with Angelo.

Frankie sat down on the couch next to Maria, crossing his legs of course. "Why are yous' yelling at each other?" His voice was a little high pitched then the rest of the guys and was the more sensible one.

"Maria and Liz don't like one of my friends. He didn't do anything to them but they won't shut up." Frankie took his eyes off of me to look at his twin. "Who?"

"Jack Napier." Liz spat with obvious distaste.

Tyler looked at his little sister with a questioning look. "Isn't he that weird kid that lives on the next block in that little piece of crap house?"

"Mmhmm that's him." Right now I wanted both Liz and Tyler out of my house, but I knew that wasn't going to happen. Liz was besties with Maria and Tyler was Angelo's work out buddy.

"You know what? Screw all of you, I'm out. I'll go hang out with my _freak _friend from outer space."

I got up and slammed the door on my way out. God, they pissed me off. Mostly Maria and Liz. I didn't mind my brothers much.

Today's Saturday, so Jack should be home. I've never actually went up to his house to get him. We've been hanging out almost everyday since we talked at the canal about 5 months ago. He walks with me to school and we sit together during lunch. We don't have any classes together because he's a grade above me. He waits for me after school and we usually walk around or do something till he has to be home.

Walking up to his house, I feel incredibly nervous. The house looks kind of creepy, now that I think about it. I walk up the creaky steps up to the door and the railing is all wobbly. The door has the paint almost chipped all the way off. The screen door has half it's screen hanging off and one of the hinges are broken. I take in a deep breath, grab the knocker and bang it a few times.

I stood there for about two minutes before I could hear someone unlatching the door and unlocking it. The door opened a tiny bit so who ever was opening the door could see who it was. A woman looked out and then completely opened the door. She was very thin with wild dark blond hair. Her face looked tired and had dark circles under her pale eyes. Her dress was plain and looked shabby. "Hello. Can I help you?" There seemed a slight annoyance in her voice.

"Hi. Eh uh is Jack home?" The thin woman's eyes opened wide with a confused look, as if taken aback. She looked behind her then looked back at me.

"You want Jack?" I noticed the how surprised she seemed that someone would ask for him.

"Yeah. Is he here?" A thin finger signaling to hold on. She went in and closed the door behind her.

After a few minutes, I decided to sit on the first rickety step. It was hot as hell out here, but the sun felt good on my legs exposed from my capris. My sneakers went back and forth bumping into each other trying to keep myself entertained.

Just when I figured no one was coming out, the front opened revealing a sad looking Jack. "What are you doing here?" You'd think he'd be happy his friend came to see him.

"I..um...wanted to see if you wanted to come out." For a second he looked back at the front door then turned back to me.

"Come on" His big hand grabbed my hand pulling me down the steps with him. "So, what's going on?" He seemed bothered that I came. Usually he seemed to enjoy being around me. We walked down the street together.

"I was arguing with Liz then everyone started arguing. So, I just left and wanted to hang out with you." I looked at him but he was looking down. His wavy dark blond hair hung in his eyes.

"Oh." That's all he said. I kept looking over at him as we walked. I decided I wanted us to go to the woods by the canal. It was quiet and relaxing there. Sometimes Jack would take me back there and we would just talk about anything and everything. When it started to get dark he was always anxious to get home. He'd say his dad would be pissed if he wasn't home on time.

"Jack, are you ok?" Finally he looks up at me. His face looked nervous and his brown eyes looked tired.

"Don't worry about it Adrian." Fine. Be like that. For the rest of the way towards the canal, no one said anything.

When we got there, Jack held my hand as we walked through the woods so I wouldn't fall. He always did that.

Not to far in the woods, there's a large almost flat rock we sit on. I laid back trying to relax but can't help but notice him fidgeting. He was sitting up with his hands on his knees. "Jack, am I your best friend?" Sighing, he lays back on the rock like me. "Adrian, you know you are."

I wasn't just his best friend, I was his only friend. He didn't talk to anyone at school but me. When I started sitting with him, most of the girls I thought were my friends looked down on me. I wasn't one of them anymore. Some still talked to me but when I wasn't with Jack.

"Do you trust me?" He was laying down next to me and we faced each other. A few strands of brown hair fell in front of my eyes. Jacks rough fingers stroked my face, moving the hair behind my ear. "....Yes. Why are you asking me this?"

"Can you please tell me what's wrong? You seem so nervous or something." My foot started tapping the other one like when I was sitting on his porch. I was laying on my back, like Jack and started playing with a piece of grass waiting for him to answer.

"I..I don't know." My small thin hand slipped into his bigger rough hand. "Jack, I just want to help. How am I suppose to help if I don't even know what's going on? Best friends tell each other things."

It looked like Jack was in deep thought. He looked up in the sky now, looking through the clouds. A sigh escaped his full lips. "I'm worried I'm gonna get in trouble with my dad for going out. No one knows I go out because my mom and dad work late on the weekdays." That's it? I giggled a little."Why are you laughing?" He became quickly angry.

"Oh... uh ….well, I thought it was something worse than that." This was the first time that Jack seemed pissed at me. Sitting up, he put his arms on his knees. "You don't understand, Adrian. There's a lot of things you don't understand..." He was right.

"I know I don't understand a lot of things, Jack. That doesn't mean that I _don't_ want to understand." He pulled his shirt up showing me his side. It was covered in black and blue marks. All I do is gasp.

"My dad...he works all day and drinks all night. Not a happy camper. Takes out his anger on me and my mom. She usually gets it worse than me..." He looked straight in my eyes as he talked, the pain noticeable in his.

"I'm sorry Jack. I didn't know. I thought maybe you didn't want to hang out with me." My thin arms wrapped around his waist pulling myself closer to him. I couldn't relate to him. My parents would barely hit us and if they did it was cause we deserved it and when they drank it was half a glass of wine during dinner.

He returned the embrace. Suddenly, I was on my back in the grass next to the rock. "Jack!!!!" Smiling from ear to ear, he began to run down the path. What a jerk. He would randomly do this all the time when I least expect it. I jumped up and ran as quick as I could after him.

Jack wanted to change the subject. He didn't like talking about his parents, whom he hated. In an instant he could go from one extreme to the next. Contrary to what most people at school think, he loves to laugh and smile. Adrian was the only person he lets in to see that, everyone else he hates. No one took the time to be nice to him. People only made fun of him and called him names.

"Jack! Jack! Slow...down...can't..breath...." Even on her best day, Adrian couldn't catch Jack. He was too quick.

"Nope. It's not my fault you're out of shape!" Laughing, he turned around to mock his friend but stopped when he caught sight of her far behind. She was laying on the ground, unmoving.

"Adrian?... Adrian!" Jack ran as fast as his legs could go to his fallen friend and fell to his knees next to her. "Adrian!" He began shaking her, screaming her name. She jumped at him, making both of them fall over on the ground. "God, what are you doing?!" He was breathless .

"Jack, I told you to slow down!" I warned him didn't I ? If he didn't want to listen to me then I needed a different way to make him slow down.

Beats of sweat dripped down his relieved face. A small smile made its way on his face. "You little...." Jumping me, he tries to wrestle me to the ground, which isn't hard. He's a lot bigger than me.

"Hey you brute! Get off me!" His head shook back and forth quickly, his hair tickling my face.

"Say sorry....sorry for making me worry about you...and scaring the crap out of me..." Hahahaha he's got jokes.

I managed to tell him he's crazy before he put more weight on. "Alright, alright. I'm sorry!" It was practically choked out. Jack never tried to really hurt me, only tease. He rolled of still with a smile, obvious pleased with himself.

Breathless, I stood up and smacked the dirt off myself. "Jerk." He starting smacking the dirt off his clothes too. "Jack?" His golden brown eyes looked up at me from what he was doing. "Yessssss?" I'm glad he's in a better mood than earlier.

"Do you wanna go to my house with me?" All I got was a raised eyebrow. Just like I've never been in his house, he's never been in mine. My bottom lip pushed out to give me that sad puppy dog look that always won him over. "Uhh...ok I guess. But I have to be home before it gets dark. Got it?" Yep I got it.


	5. And Who's This?

**Ciao i miei lettori meravigliosi. Just an author's note: This is _before_ Jack becomes Joker. It's a process. I know some people may think that the Joker way always crazy and all that other stuff. Like "no way would he say sorry or be comforting". BUTTTT I'm making this into a process. **

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When Jack and I arrived at the house, the only people in the living room were my parents. My dad sat in HIS recliner reading a newspaper while my mom was looking through an old looking cookbook on the sofa. My mom was first to look up as we walked in.

"Hey Adrian. Who's this?" My dad was usually the first to address people when they first walked in. He folded his newspaper and put it off to the side. My mom put her book off to the side, interested.

I pulled Jack in by his hand to the middle of the room. "This is Jack." My parents don't like any of us having people in the house without them meeting them. "He's a friend from school."

"Nice to meet you Jack. Are you staying for dinner?" She smiled politely and cocked her head slightly waiting for an answer. Dad shifted in his seat watching Jack.

"Nice to meet you too. And uh I don't know. I got to be home before it gets dark." Looking at Jack, you could tell he felt nervous and uncomfortable. His hands were in his pockets and shoulders hunched. Mom nodded and stood up grabbing her book.

"Well, in that case I better get started." And with that, she walked into the kitchen getting ready to prepare dinner. "Come on Robert. You can help, can't you?" Dad reluctantly got up and muttered something unintelligible under his breath while walking into the kitchen.

I looked at Jack who watched my dad looking amused. "Come on." Grabbing his hand, I led him upstairs into the hall. "Which one's yours?" Hearing an unfamiliar voice, Frankie practically bounced out of his room wearing white shorts, white flip flops and a light blue shirt. He had one hand on his hip and a towel on his head.

"Why helloooo. And who's this?" Frankie had a smile across his face. He loved meeting new people and was very outgoing. My hands were now on Jack's shoulders pushing him forward. "Jack. Now let's go." We pushed past him into the room next to his. "Ewww-ah" He's such a diva.

I closed my door behind us. "Pheww." When Frankie started talking, he usually didn't stop. Kicking my shoes off, I belly flopped on my comfy bed covered in stuffed animals. Yeah, I had to get them out of their box. They were my sleeping buddies. Jack stood by the door, looking around seemingly uncomfortable.

"Do you think you have enough stuffed animals?" The sarcasm in his voice was obvious. Suddenly, he was bombarded by my stuffed little friends. "Hey, what-" If he thinks he's going to get sarcastic with me and get away with it, he's nuts. My bed was almost out of stuffed ammunition until he retaliated by throwing them back while smiling. I picked up my pillow, ran over to him and wacked him upside the head.

He fell to the floor before grabbing my legs and pulling me down with him. "Do...you...think...you ..can...attack...me...and...win?!" We wrestled for a good twenty minutes, yelling laughing and just having fun. Every few minutes, Frankie would bang on the wall and yell that we were being too loud. Who cares?

The door kicked open with an amused looking Angelo and Tony. They would come in just as I had Jack pinned by his wrists, straddling him. "Adrian??? My oh my whah do we have herreeee?" Tony, who's like a little version of Angelo, stood with him with a similar smug look. "Yeah. What we gots here Adrian?" I hated when Tony did that!

"So, Adrians got a little boyfriend huh? Heh heh. Does mom and dad know bout this?" What a jerk. I jumped off Jack and stood up to Angelo. He's like 5'11 to my 5'4 but I didn't care. "Actually, he's not my boyfriend. He's just my friend and he already met mom and dad. They don't care cause he's stayin' for dinner. We were only wrestling. Do you got a problem with that?" Angelo folded his big armsover his chest.

"Well actually," Oh how that big bastard loved to annoy me, "when a' olda brother walks in and his baby sista is on top of some guy," turning to Jack, "no offense but I don't know ya name," turning back to me, "someone want to know what the hell's going on. Ya understand?" I guess he's got a point. Angelo had a tendency to be over-protective with me and Maria like most older brothers are.

"Nothing's going on! Get out of my room!" I shoved into his large form pushing him and little Tony, who was behind him, out. As soon as they were out, I slammed the door and locked it. Jack was still sitting on the floor when I turned back to him. "So....How big IS your family?"

"Not that big. There's my mom and dad. Angelo the ape, Frankie and Maria the twins, me, Tony the mouth, and the adopted kids from next door." My room look like a mess. A smile played across my face from amusement. "I won." Jack looked at me with a "psshhhhttttt" look.

"You're lucky your brother came in cause I was about to massacre you." Wow, where the hell was he?

"Hold up. As I recall, you were pinned to the floor quite helpless if I do say so myself. If Angelo didn't come in, I would have smashed your face in with my little friend Snuggles here." A little pink bear laid on the floor under one of my multiple pillows. Grabbing it quickly, I got to shove it in Jacks face before I realize Snuggles was missing her head. The decapitated bear dropped to the floor. It's head was not to far from the body.

"Oh my god!" That was my favorite out of all of them. My dad bought her for me on my 5th birthday. Jack kept looking from me to the bear. The tears in my eyes began to form as I sat down Indian-style on my rug, picking up both pieces of the bear and holding them. "Aww my Snuggles is broke! It was probably from us throwing her back and forth." Jack sat down next to me. I felt his arms wrap around me in a warm, comforting embrace.

"Adrian...I'm sorry...I shouldn't have thrown them back..." Teary eyed, I looked at him. His brown eyes held sincerity in them unlike I've seen before. It wasn't his fault. Shit happens.

"Don't worry about it Jack. It's not your fault. She was bound to fall apart anyways..." His sleeve involuntarily became my kleenex.

"Don't be upset. I'll get you a new Snuggles. Pink and fluff, just like that one. I promise." He smile and I knew he was telling the truth. Jack doesn't lie or make stuff up. That's one thing I'm certain about him.

The door opened. "Adrian, dinners d-" Maria walked in with Liz. Her eyes got wide at the sight of Jack. Liz didn't say anything. They looked from me to Jack the bear in my hands. "What happened?" I held up both pieces of my bear to them. "Snuggles broke."

Liz seemed obviously uncomfortable and walked out into the hallway. Maria looked back at her yellow bellied friend, then back at us. "Oh. Well, dinner's done." And with that she left quick fast and in a hurry.

"So which one was your sister?" Wow, that's a hard one. I couldn't help but laugh a bit. "What? Why are you laughing?"

"Well, which one doesn't look like anyone else in my house?" Liz obviously didn't look like a Giordano. We were an olive-skinned Italian family with dark hair and here's Liz, pale with blond hair and blue eyes. Jack grabbed a monkey from beside him and whacked me with for my smart comment.

"Come on. We better go down stairs before my mom sends her ape up here to get us." Jack raised an eyebrow. "Who's your mom's ape?"

"Angelo."

Everyone was in the kitchen, when we got down there. Good thing we have a big table or not everyone would've been able to fit. Jack sat next to me (naturally). Besides Jack, Liz and Tyler were eating dinner with us too. My mom made enough food to feed an army. She had to make a lot because the guys always ate so damn much. My dad decided he'd play the part of the Spanish Inquisition tonight.

"So Jack, how old are you?" Jack looked up from his plate at my old man. "Fifteen." My dad always asked a lot of question, him being a cop and all. "What do your parents do?" Jack shifted in his seat, apparently uncomfortable talking about his parents. "My mom's a waitress and my dad works in a aluminum factory..."

Liz snickered. I had it up to here with her and her snobby ass attitude. How's that even remotely funny? "Shut the hell up before I knock your ass outta that chair." I practically spat at her. That shut her up.

"Adrian!" My mom never heard me talk to anyone unrelated to like that. Angelo, Tony and Frankie smiled. They had been waiting for someone to confront Liz because they didn't really like her, but since she was Maria's best friend and Tyler's baby sister they dealt with it.

"Well, she shouldn't be laughing at anyone, especially at _my_ friend in _my_ house." At that moment, I think Liz possibly grew a pair. "_I'll_ laugh at who ever _I _want!" Really? I guess she forgets that she doesn't live here maybe?

"You know, _Liz_, that you don't live here so you can't do what ever you want. If you got a problem with that, you can take your scrawny ass back to your house." She just stared at me then looked at Tyler who just shrugged.

"We'll thank you for the dinner Mr. and Mrs. Giordano. It was lovely, but Tyler and I really need to head home now." And with that she stood up and walked directly out the door with Tyler in tow. Good riddance.

I smiled to myself thinking about how angry Liz had gotten and stormed out. Maria was obviously angry with me but I don't care one bit. She's a bitch like Liz. My parents were shocked with my outburst by the looks on their faces. We finished our dinner in silence. Every so often, I'd look over at Jack to see a small smile on his face.

After dinner, Jack and I walked into the living room and flopped on the couch. "...I'm sorry about Liz laughing. I don't know what's wrong with that girl. Too judgmental..." A big finger touched my lips when they closed. "Don't worry about it. I don't care what girls like her think of me. They mean _nothing_ to me."

Looking away from me, he must have noticed it was dark out now. "Ah crap! I was spose to be home by now....Ok well, I'll probably get grounded but I'll try and come over as soon as I can. Ok?" That made me sad. I was used to seeing my best friend everyday. "Yeah." He pulled me into another embrace before running out the door. "See ya, Adrian!". He was gone within seconds. See ya, Jack.

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I was running through the woods at the canal. Someone was following me. Someone I _didn't_ want following me. The sun almost completely retired and the darkness taking over. Where was I going? Who was following me? My lungs burned and skin ached. Everything hurt so bad, but I kept running. The wind was harsh and cold. My god...it was so cold...I wasn't gonna get out of this alive. I kept running till I ran into a tall dark figure. Is this death? I fell to the ground helpless. The person chasing me stopped in his tracks and turned around, running with his tail between his legs. The dark figured leaned over my shaving body coming closer to my face. I couldn't see its face, shadowed by darkness. A hand with long fingers reached out to me slowly, grabbing my arm.............

"Oh shit!" Stupid crazy dreams. I sat up in my bed, freezing. Typically, I didn't have dreams but as of lately, I've been having these crazy ass nightmares. Why's it so cold in here?

I look over and notice my window slightly open. It was closed when I went to sleep. I _always_ close it before I go to sleep. It's pretty cold for an August night. The clock on my nightstand says it's 4:15 AM. It's too early for me to be up.

I roll over figuring I'll just go back to sleep, when something catches my eye. On the other side of the bed, there's something there that wasn't there earlier. Quickly, I turn to flick on the lamp on my nightstand.

A fuzzy pink teddy bear sits there staring at me. It wasn't Snuggles the decapitated bear. There was a folded piece of paper between the bears paws. Snatching it, I unfold it quickly to read:

_ Dear Adrian, _

_ I'm still grounded but managed to sneak out so I could give you your present. I promised you I'd _

_ get a fuzzy pink bear just like Snuggles and this is the best I could do. See, I'm a man of my word. I hope _

_ you like her. Sorry I didn't wake you to give you your present. You just looked so peaceful while you _

_ sleep. _

_ Jack_


	6. Change

While Jack stayed grounded for a few more weeks, I noticed when I woke up that my window was open a little. He usually left a little note and I'd leave one for him in return. That's how we communicated while he was being "punished". Good thing my dad didn't have the tree outside my window cut down like he was planning, or Jack wouldn't of been able to get up here.

I slept with my new bear "Sophie" every night. She was better than my old one. A lot softer or it had more meaning to me, if that makes more sense.

When Jack finally got off punishment, things returned to the way they use to be, kinda....

I woke with a start. It was hot with my blanket wrapped around me. Sitting up to turn on the light on the nightstand, my eyes caught a tall dark figure standing in the middle of my room. Boy did that scared the shit out of me. Gasping, I turned on the light quickly and grabbed my alarm clock to use as a weapon.

Jack stood there with warn jeans and a black hoodie on. "Adrian, calm down. It's just me." A playful smile spread across his handsome face. Part of me knew it was him, but it is Gotham after all so who you couldn't be too careful."

"Jack...What the hell! You almost scared me to death. What if I died one of these nights because you decided to sneak in here and scare me? Huh?" His shoulders were hunched over and long arms dangled in front of his lean body. My eyes met his and there was a coldness about them.

"Then my life would be empty and I would be left alone, lifeless." There was something unnerving about the way his eyes looked. He turned around and walked over to the door, locking it. Good idea, I didn't want Frankie or Angelo barging in here while Jack was in my room with me. That would look awfully suspicious. "Do you mind if I stay the night?" I just shook my head no. He was gonna do what he wanted anyway. "My parents are out and I didn't want to be by myself."

I stood up and got out of bed so I could reopen by window. It was hot in here after all. All I had on was a white muscle shirt and blue boy shorts. I could feel him watching me intently as I moved around my room. To be honest, it made me feel uncomfortable. I crawled back into bed and gave him a hand gesture to follow me. He was my best friend and I wasn't gonna make him sleep on the floor or in a chair.

He pulled his hoodie and shirt over his head and tossed them on the floor. He must have kicked his shoes off when he first got in my room and who knows how long ago that was? "Come on Jack, I'm tired." Before I knew it, he slipped under the covers and wrapped his arm around me. "Goodnight Adrian." I mumbled something as sleep over took me.

Nights like these happened more often. Almost every night, he climbed the tree outside of my window and crawled into my room. Boy, what a sneaky devil he was. I'd wake up in the middle of the night and find him sleeping close to me or his arm around my body. It didn't bother me. Neither of us liked to be alone.

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As the months passes, we grew. My body began to fill out. Now, I had boobs that got in the way and hurt when I ran. They weren't that big (B-Cish decent size) but it's fun joking about them. I stayed the same height and Jack sprouted like a tree. He stood almost 6 ft to my 5'4. He was at my house almost everyday so my family had taken to him, except for Maria but I don't care what she thinks.

As he blossomed, so did his personality. Instead of the little shy boy who didn't talk to anyone, he grew into a man who can take up for himself. Angelo tried to take him under his wing and show him the art of working out. His muscles grew and he appeared more intimidating. An air of confidence flew around him.

When we hung out after school, Jack began working on little "experiments". Things like homemade bombs, trying to put stuff together that he could use for them, etc. I became his assistant. His parents worked during the day, so he took me into his basement that was his room/lab. There was a small window on the side of the house that we crawled through. It was a small room with a mattress on the floor with a desk and a closet. Not much to it. Everything was hidden in different spots around the room. His directions for his homemade bomb were hidden in his mattress in a hole he cut with his knife. In his closet, he had a knife collection hidden in a hole in the wall.

In school, boys weren't shy about taking notice in me. I was becoming a young woman. Jack always told me I was pretty but since he's my best friend I figure he's just trying to make me feel better about myself. There's no need for that, I'm already pretty confident.

Guys started asking me out. The typical answer was "Sorry, no can do." Sometimes I'd take someone up on their offer. That didn't last long though. Jack usually scared them off. He didn't like anyone I went out with. After a few days, I'd get a call breaking it off. No one really wanted to mess with Jack.

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It was a hot day in September. School just started back up a week ago. Jack was a senior and I a junior. We were inseparable as long as we had a choice in the matter. Jack had come over to walk to school with me like every other day. Nothing unusual. "I'm so tired...I don't feel like walking. Can you carry me?" Jack lifted me off the ground before I could even finish my sentence. "Hey, hey. I was kidding! Put me down!" A deep laugh erupted from his lips. He gently put me down on my feet.

Walking up to the school gate, Jack handed me my backpack. He always insisted on carrying mine and he never brought one so I was like go right ahead buddy. This is where we part because we go to different sides on the school. His big arms wrap around me for a final embrace till later. Smiling, I turn to walk towards the door of the junior wing.

A hand grabbed and squeezed my ass from behind. I swing around to see Mark the dick standing there with his goons. The little bastard had a smug look on his face. "Don't fucking touch me." I hated this guy with a passion. He had these little beady black eyes you just wanted to poke out and big nose. A bit of a tough guy too.

"Calm down, sweetheart. I didn't hurt you. I saw you walkin in and I just wanted a sample of that ass." He had made passed at me before but I usually shot them down. "Hm? Whad'ya say?" His hand reached for my little wrist.

"Don't fucking touch her!" Jack came up behind Mark and shoved into him. Mark was taken back. "Hey buddy, what you want? Is she your girl or something? If she ain't then mind your own fucking business." Jack's fist landed right into Mark's jaw. He fell to the floor with a heavy thud. People ran over wondering what's going on. I stood there shocked. Jack stood over Mark and began wailing on him. Had he lost his mind?! No one was trying to pull him off. Blood began leaking down Marks face from his nose.

"Jack! Stop!" I kept yelling, horrified. I never saw this side of him. Without thinking, I tried to pull Jack off. His arm swung back angrily, knocking me to the ground. He stood up, realizing I was on the other side of the blow. "Adrian..." The principal with a few teachers rushed outside from all the comotion. I sat on the ground, shocked at what had just happened. Our school's security guard grabbed Jack and took him into the building. The nurse tended to Mark, who was still on the ground.


	7. Why So Serious?

**_Author's Note: This chapter is in Jack's POV_**

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I haven't seen Adrian since this morning. This guy touched her, so I laid one on him...Well, maybe more than one. She tried to pull me off of him so I swung back and hit her. I didn't know it was her or I wouldn't have done that. I'd never try to hurt her...

I was in the office most of the day and she didn't come to see me. She also didn't wait for me after school. Didn't blame her. So here I am, sitting in my room all by myself. I'm not use to being away from her so long. It's almost 9, the sun has been long gone.

"Charlene?! Where the fuck are you?" Uh oh. Satan's home from work. My body began to tense up as I heard dishes crashing to the floor and objects being thrown around. "I've had it up to hear with you bitch and your bastard son. The school called me at work cause he got into another fucking fight!!!" You could hear more things being thrown around.

"Earl, it's not my fault. It's his! He can't control himself!" There was a heavy thud. That was the sound of a woman being smacked to the floor. "Don't you ever, and I mean EVER talk back to me again woman." Her cries as she was being beaten were almost unbearable to hear. The noise stopped...just for a second.

"What are you gonna do with that, huh? You think you're gonna kill me? HA! I'll.. fucking... show.... you!" A blood curdling scream pierced my ears and a deep crazed cackle. As fast as my legs could go, I ran upstairs. The upstairs was completely trashed. The screaming stopped.

I slowly made my way into the kitchen. My mother laid on the floor in a pool of blood. Her body was ravaged and a smile carved into her mouth, eyes open and skin pasty white. Were my eyes deceiving me? Was this a bad dream? Am I going to wake up? No.

I couldn't take my eyes of my mother's lifeless body until a heavy weight crashed down on me. My fathers stood over with a bloody kitchen knife in his hand. My eyes widened in shock. He sat on me, pressing all his body weight on my chest. I couldn't fight him off, he was a lot bigger than me. The whiskey coming off his dirty, blood covered body made me want to puke.

"So...you like to fight huh?" With that, his fists came crashing down in my face. His legs had my arms pinned to the kitchen floor. The more he hit, the less it hurt. "Why don't you smile more often...huh? You're just like your mother...always so...serious." He turned his greasy head to look at the bloody heap in the corner that use to be my mom. "Why so serious Jack?" Those dark eyes bore into mine for the longest time. I hated him. This whole time he had a comical smile.

"Let's put a smile on that face." I couldn't move, couldn't scream, couldn't stop him. He picked up the bloody kitchen knife off the floor beside him and stuck it into my mouth. Slowly, he sliced each side of my mouth, making a comical grin like the one he wore. Blood gushed out of my cheeks, all over. Red was all I saw. I could hear the sick bastard laughing hysterically as he stood up. Am I gonna die? Is this it? A rage built up inside of me. I hated this man, more than I've ever hated anyone. I wanted to kill him. He wasn't getting out of here.

I laid motionless as he put the knife on the table and proceeded into the living room. This was my chance. Crawling across the floor, I made my was to the table and grabbed the knife. Slowly, I made my way into the living room, covered in blood. He sat there, in his chair watching tv as if nothing happened. The chair faced the opposite wall. I crept up behind him, knife in hand. When I got close enough to where I was right behind his chair, I wielded the knife and dug it into his shoulder. His screams were pitiful. Those big hands of his try to swing at me, to no avail.

It was like I wasn't me, like I was possessed by something evil. No this was me...

The more he struggled, the more enraged I became. This was a marvelous sight. The man who terrorized me for as long as I could remember was now at my feet, whimpering. He wasn't a man, something much less.

The more I thought of how much he sickened me, the more I stabbed and sliced. He laid on the floor, a bloody mess. I stood over him like he had stood over me countless times. There was something missing....Oh. A nice, big smile. Now we could look like one big happy family.

I was done. I looked at my masterpiece before I went back into the kitchen. Dirty drunken bastard. Tossing the knife into the corner, I took notice of mom. What a stupid woman she was and for that I hated her. Now there both gone and I'll never have to worry about seeing their damned faces again.

What has happened to me? What have I become? This isn't real.....It can't be. It's only a nightmare and I'll wake up in a few hours. My parents will be at work and I'll go over Adrian's...Adrian... I slid onto the floor as the world around me crumbled.


	8. Can You Sew This Up?

**Author's note: We're back to Adrian's POV**

It felt like such a long day and it was finally coming to an end. I changed into a muscle shirt and shorts and crawled into bed. Rain drops pounded against the window, bringing a calmness to my anxiousness. After the fight in school today, I didn't see Jack. The nurse checked me out and my dad picked me up.

This wasn't the first fight Jack was involved in and it wasn't the first time it had to do with me. He was too overprotective...And the fact that he never liked sharing me didn't help. I'm not mad at him...I know he wouldn't hurt me on purpose. It's getting late.

My bed felt extra comfy for some reason and nothing mattered now except for sleep....

The window slowly slid open. I didn't care to get up and take a look. There wasn't a doubt in my mind that it was Jack. Why would he come here this late during such a bad storm? Stupid ass. Probably wants to apologize. Too bad cause I'm _sleeping_. Shit, he's probably getting water and mud all over my carpet!

"Jack...Please don't tell me you dragged mud through my room..." No answer. "Jack?" Nothing. This made me a bit nervous. I was scared to look and it not be him. Minutes passed without any movement or sound. Slowly, I turned around to in my bed so I could see my guest. I knew it was Jack without having to see his face even though it was dark in my room.

"Jack?....Jack?" Why wasn't he answering me? I rolled out of bed and walked up to him. He made no movement. Creepy much? "So you're not gonna answer me?" Turning my back to him, I made my way to my nightstand and turned on the light.

Trying to stifle a scream, I covered my mouth with my hand. Jack stood there soaked...and covered in blood. My heart pounded in my chest and I couldn't breathe. His eyes were fixed on mine, they looked darker than usual. Something was wrong with his mouth...horribly wrong. Tears began to run down my terror stricken face.

"Adrian..." His voice was merely a whisper. I opened my mouth to say something, but nothing came out. Blood leaked out of the wounds on his handsome face. My mind raced through a million questions all at one time. Jack staggered toward me and dropped down to his knees. He wrapped his big arms around my waist and pulled me towards him, getting blood all over my clothes. I was speechless and completely in shock. "Adrian..." Looking down at him, my hands shakily ran through his dripping wet hair. "Help me." It sounded more of a command than a plea.

"Jack...You need to go to the hospital. I'll get my dad up to take us." I began to turn around when he grabbed my wrist. "No." I looked down at him in disbelief.

"No? What are you gonna do? Bleed to death on my floor?" There was no way I was going to let Jack sit here and die. My eyes began tearing up again looking at him. I knew there was no way I could convince him to go. "Please. What do you want me to do? " I knelt down so we were face to face. His dark eyes looked distant and face stony.

"...Could you...sew this up?" He pointed to each side of his mouth.

"Have you gone mad?!" I stared at him hard but he was unmoving. "Are you serious? Jack...I don't have the stuff you need."

"Please, I need you to do this. All you need is a needle and thread. It won't stop bleeding if you don't." His voice was low and raspy, trying not to open his mouth too much. I took him by the hand and led him into my bathroom where I sat him on the toilet. "Stay here. I'm going downstairs to get some stuff. Don't move." He nodded before I turned to rush downstairs.

Oh god, oh god. The world's gone mad. I can't even think straight! This is all too real. Running into the living room downstairs, I grabbed my mom's sewing kit from behind the couch. In the next room, I rummaged through the medicine cabinet looking for rubbing alcohol, peroxide, bandages and neosporin. My breathing was heavy while trying to rush back to him.

He sat on the toilet not moving at all. His thoughts else where not thinking about the pain and blood everywhere.

As soon as I got back into the bathroom, I got to work. There was a lot to do. My rug had mud and blood on it that needed to be cleaned up as well. Hopefully the tread will be strong enough to hold. "I don't have anything for the pain, so this is really gonna hurt." He nodded as I held the thin needle in my hand. I was hesitant and scared of hurting him. "I'm sorry." His jaw was clenched tight and hands holding on to the closest unmoving objects, the sink and the wall. The needle, with the thread dangling behind it, punctured the skin above the wound.

He took in sharp breath and all his body tensed up. Blood dripped on his drenched shirt. "Don't move." It was more difficult than I thought. His arms began shaking and the veins in his neck were clearly visible. Those dark eyes stayed closed as the needle went through his skin.

I don't know if he went numb or was just out of it, but he quit shaking making noises when I was almost done. His eyes opened and stared into mine as I finished the last stitch. From the looks of it, Jack wasn't here right now. He was in his own little world.

What do I do now? He was covered in blood and was getting it all over. "Jack...Can I give you a bath?" I figure I'll give him a bath to help him relax and get him changed into some of the clothes he left here from different times he "slept" over. While he's sleeping I can clean this mess up.

Looking dazed and confused, he slowly nodded. Filling up the tub, I realized that this was most likely going to be awkward. Jack stood up as I tested the water with my hand. Perfect.

I stood up and Jack was right behind me. "Okay...Well these clothes are shot to hell. Can I just throw them out?" He gave me another one of his lazy nods. There was a little trash can in here that I can throw them in and take out tomorrow. His blood stained t-shirt and jeans went right in there.

Bruises were all over his muscular lean body. He stood there with only his boxers now. "Are you keeping them on?" With a quick downward glance, he slid them down. I turned and didn't want to look. Yeah, I guess beneath the blood and bruises he's kind of sexy....Oh god, I'm so gross!

The water splashed a little out of the tub as he got in. I turned around and he was sitting hunched over in the water. The warmth of the water against his cold skin caused him to have goose bumps. I sat beside the tub and watched him. His face looked so tired and still had blood on it.

There was a rag on the towel rack beside the tub that I grabbed and soaked. Gently, I dabbed the blood off his face and shoulders. He stared down at the water, not paying any mind to me. What was he thinking about? Was he in shock?

No one said anything the rest of the time. When all of the blood was gone off of his face, it was so pale from loss of blood. I gave him a towel that was on a rack beside the tub and got him some clothes to wear.

While he was getting dressed in the bathroom, I got to work on cleaning my rug. There was a bucket and Pine-sol under my sink that I got out. It didn't take as long as I thought. Jack came out dried off and dressed.

"Do you feel better?" He nodded and walked over to the bed and laid down. Poor guy. Good thing tomorrow's Friday and I could stay with him.

I dumped the bloody water from the bucket and put my stuff away. My clothes had blood on them from when he hugged me. Jack looked like he was sleeping now. I changed my clothes and climbed in bed with him.

He laid on his back and I snuggled up to him a bit. "Goodnight Jack." His big arm wrapped around my back and pulled me closer to his body.

"Goodnight Adrian."


	9. My Girl REVISED

**Author's Note:**** Sorry it took me soooo long to update. I usually don't take that long. Comments? Questions? Suggestion? Give 'em to me. Sorry for not adding important details to the story. I've revised this chapter to it's a little easier to understand. Thank you all for the reviews and enjoy ^_^. **

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My skin felt sweaty and sticky. The blankets were wrapped around my body making it even hotter than it already was. A large sleeping body laid beside me. The events of last night came crashing down like a tidal wave, making my head hurt. "Dammit..."

Someone lightly knocked on the door. What the hell? Jack was still asleep, I think. It was hard to tell with him. He was covered in blankets, pillows and stuffed animals. The knocking continued, which irritated me.

"Yes?" It's early and I had a long night. The last thing I want is to be bothered by something stupid, like Frankie wanting to borrow my straightener again.

"Adrian...You need to come downstairs right now. There's something we need to talk about." It was my dad. He sounded a bit anxious. I was just planning on going back to bed.

"...Ok, I'll be down in a few minutes." Son of a bitch! You've got to fucking kidding me. When I heard his heavy footsteps die down the hallways, I dug into the mountain of pillows and stuffed animals looking for Jack. He was laying on his back holding onto one of my pillows. His face looked so peaceful and so innocent.

"Wake up sleeping beauty." I whispered so no one outside the room would hear me. Maybe he was a heavy sleeper or was playing around, I don't know. Shaking him, he jumped up and grabbed me by the neck. His dark eyes were wide with anger and breathing hard. "Whoa Jack! Calm down buddy!" His grip loosened, releasing me. What the hell was that about?

He fell back onto the bed, his breathing slowing down. I was completely taken aback. "What the hell was that about!" I wanted to punch him in his freaking face, but he looked so pitiful. What was he just going to go back to sleep as if nothing had happened?

Laying there with his eyes closed, he reached for my hand and grasped it. His large fingers intertwined with mine and held on tight. It actually made me feel a strange calmness. He opened his eyes and what was filled with anger was replaced with softness.

He pulled me to him and I laid my head on his chest, listening to his heart beat. "I don't know if you were up or not, but my dad said he needs to talk to me." I was still tired and just wanted to stay here with him, but I needed to go downstairs to see what's up. The room was silent until I got up to leave.

"I'm not here." His deep voice was a whisper, trying not to mess with the stitches. I nodded before walking out.

Mom, dad, Tony, Maria and Liz (grrr) were sitting on the couch. I walked down the steps, annoyed that I had to leave Jack. He was pretty comfy and so was my bed. I wanted to make this quick so I can go back there and get more sleep in.

"So...What's up?" My dad shifted in his chair uncomfortably, obviously distressed. Mom had a worried look on her face.

"Adrian. I need you to tell me the truth. Have you seen Jack AT ALL since I picked you up from school?" I felt nauseous and really nervous. Could they sense it? I hope not.

"No." There's no way in hell that I'm selling Jack out. He's my best friend. "Why? What's going on?" Dad seemed to be concentrating, trying to find the right words. Maria was chewing on her lip and Liz was cracking gum.

"I don't know how to tell you this. Uh...Last night, Jack's parents were found dead in their home, murdered." The blood drained from my face. This is some wacky shit. "I went to the home and it was a mess. We're not sure what happened, but all we know was that Jack was nowhere to be found. No one will know what really happened unless we find Jack and can talk to him."

I let the words sink in and said nothing, completely stunned. My mind raced over the events of last night. Even I don't really know what happened. Did someone break in and attack them? Did Jack kill them? That was most likely the case, but could Jack actually kill someone? I could kind of see him doing something like that. He just had it in him.

"The freak probably kill them." Liz sat there next to Maria on the couch with a smug face. Something snapped in me. I jumped on her causing the bitch to scream and started hitting her as hard as I could. Her high pitched screams clawed at my ears, causing me to hit her harder the more she screamed. Tony pulled me off of her as my parents and Maria were screaming. What they were saying meant nothing now. She had it coming and they all knew it.

"Go up to your room and stay there!" Dad was so pissed. He never condoned any of us fighting. Maria and Liz were crying, mom was checking out her face. Hahahaha. There was joy in seeing Liz in pain.

Frankie winked at me before I dashed up to my room. Slamming the door as I came in, Jack shot up quickly in surprise. His eyes questioned me, he didn't need to say anything. Smiling, I crawled back into bed with him. I told him everything that happened downstairs, from his parents to me hitting Liz.

"Don't worry Jack. I won't tell anyone about you being here. I'll make sure you're safe." He was my best friend and I would do everything I can to help him and take care of him. Now, he was the most important thing in my life.

He pulled me closer to his warm body and kissed me on the head. I snuggled up to him trying to get comfy and fall back to sleep.

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It only took like 3 and a half weeks for his mouth to heal. I cut the stitches out for him. Now he was left with rough scars on his handsome face.

Since the incident with Liz, I've been eating my meals in my room so I could share my food with Jack. No one stopped me either. The distance between my family and I just keeps increasing. My parents quit bothering with me cause they're just tired of everything. After raising five kids ontop of having problems of their own (like getting older and what not), things around here have become...less strict. Now, they concentrate more on spending time together when dad's not at the station.

Angelo moved not too far in a little apartment on the other side of town (the shitty side) with some of his buddies and Frankie went off to college in California. Maria is still here cause she goes to community college and it's just cheaper to stay at home. Liz followed suit unfortunatly but doesn't come over as much. Now instead of her coming to our house, Maria goes over to hers. Tony pretty much keeps to himself. He's barely home and usually out with friends or doing whatever. I don't mind, I prefer no one home.

Since no one was usually home or paid any attention to me, it was pretty easy to hide Jack. I had a bathroom with a shower and all in my room and when he was hungry, I just brought food up. When he needed stuff, I just stole money out of my mom's purse or dad's wallet while they slept at night.

I dropped out of school recently. My parents didn't like it and tried to talk me out of it, but it was either that or I just wasn't going to go and get fined. My mom was tired of arguing with me and my dad about it, so she just gave in. Since the Napier's death and Jack going missing, they feel bad for me and let me get away with a lot of shit. I'm considered the "problem child" out of me and my siblings now. It used to be either Angelo or Tony.

Nothing really mattered anymore besides being with him...Not my family, school, nothing. My time was usually spent upstairs with Jack drawing and figuring out what to do next. We can't stay here forever, right?

"Adrian?" Jack sat on the floor and leaned against my bed that I was laying on. On a sketch pad I bought him, he drew pictures of bloody dead people and weapons. There were drawings like that all over my room. He has a twisted imagination, but I like it.

"Yesss?" I liked watching him draw, it fascinates me.

"Would you hate me if I killed someone?" His head leaned back staring me in the eyes. The randomness of this question completely threw me off.

"No...Why?" Putting his sketches down, he climbed onto the bed with me. We were both sitting up, facing one another. I took in a deep breath, thinking. Part of me knew where this was going. That one night that changed everything. It had to come up sooner or later, but I didn't want to bring it up.

"How much do you care about me?" I raised a thin eye brow at him. He raised one in response, cocking his head to the side.

"A lot. Can you get to the point?" His big hand reached over and started twisting my hair between his finger. A shiver went down my spine.

"I did what your dad said I did-kinda...That night when I crawled in your window I mean. It wasn't my fault. My mom was laying on the kitchen floor when I came in. Before I knew it my dad attacked me and left me on the same floor. There was no way I could let him get away with that...You wanna know what the sick thing is?" In the pit of my stomach a large knot was growing. This WAS all to real. Was I sweating? I think so. Part of me wanted, no needed to know. The other part wanted to cover my ears and sct like I didn't hear shit. Slowly, I nodded my head.

"I enjoyed it. After everything that happened to me, the beatings, the drinking, the screaming, I was glad to get him back. If I could, I'd do it again in a heartbeat. There are just some people who don't deserve to live, ya know? He was one of 'em. Karma's a bitch, especially when it has a knife." He had this grin on his face, one that made him looked more crazy then what he just told me did.

This was a different side of him, one that scared me but also made him just that more interesting. I guess he did have a good point. His dad was a bastard and I would have done the same in his position. You got to do what you got to do. I was glad he trusted me enough to tell me what happened.

"I'm not going to judge you for that. You're my best friend and nothing you do is going to change that. Trust me, I got your back."

We stared at each other for what felt like hours. Suddenly, he leaned in and pressed his full lips against mine. It was deep and passionate. Electricity charged through my entire body. His lips were so soft yet so rough at each end where the scars began.

I didn't expect this, not at all. Best friends don't kiss each other like this, do they? I don't know. What I do know was I enjoy it...very much.

His rough hands made their way up to my face, one on each side. My heart was racing and I was breathless. His dark brown eyes looked into mine as if staring into the soul.

"You're my girl. You always have been and always will be..."


	10. In

**Author's Note: Not too confident with this chapter. I was just pretty much pulling it out as it came. Would definitely love suggestions to make it better. Thanks for sticking with me. **

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It was the middle of the night. A terrible nightmare forced me out of my sleep, which pissed me off kind of. I reached for him, but didn't feel anything.

"Jack? Where are you?" I sat up looking around, yawning.

"Sshhhh.... Quiet, I don't want you waking mom or dad." I reached over quickly turning on the light on my nightstand. Angelo sat in the corner of the room with his arms on his knees.

"Angelo? What the hell are you doing here?" He's the last person I'd think to come in my room. I haven't seen him in a while since he moved out. My dad had it out with him over some stuff that I didn't know about. I looked around and Jack was nowhere to be found.

Moments went by without an answer. "Eh...uh...ok. Can I trust you?" What kind of question was that? Besides Frankie, he was my favorite sibling. I cocked my head to the side and raised and eyebrow giving him a slightly dirty look.

"Are you serious? Like do you have a reason not to trust me?" I sat there and glared at him. His face was concentrating, carefully choosing his words.

"True. Alright. Well, there's some, ehhh, shit going down on the other side of town. I just need somewhere to lay low for a while, ya know? So, I figured I'd get into the house and chill here. I know mom and dad aren't home that much and all and I didn't want them getting involved. Honestly, I didn't want you getting in it either. Butttt since you're up and all, I guess you're involved too."

"What the _fuck_ are you talking about? You're a loon, Angelo. Where's Jack?" He seemed annoyed now. I understood what he meant, I'm not a simple person.

"Ughhhh. Don't play dumb, Adrian. I know you're smarter than that. Listen, whatever you do, don't tell ANYONE that I'm here. You and Jack are the only ones that know." I nodded in response, taking it all in.

"And Jack? Where is he?" He was with me when I fell asleep, that I'm sure of.

"Well, I started climbing up to your window and he got all big till I told him it's just me. I'm givin' him some money to do a favor for me. He should be here very soon actually..."

Angelo pulled out a knife with a wicked looking blade. It was jagged, looked like it would really screw someones shit up. I just stared at it in awe. It was...beautiful. He looked up at me with a smirk on his face, noticing me admiring the weapon.

"You like?" I nodded slowly, not taking my eyes off of it. "Here you can have it." He stood up and handed it to me. My smile went ear to ear.

"Heh, you really like. It's a pretty nice one if you ask me...Fuck!" I looked up to see Jack standing in front of us, holding a briefcase. I wasn't surprised. After all, I was use to it.

"Jesus Christ man! Does he always do that?" I looked from Angelo to him and nodded. Jack cackled in amusement.

"Alright. Here's your shit. Where's my money?" He sat the suitcase on the floor and sat on the bed.

Angelo got up and sat in front of the suitcase, Indian-style. "Ahhh the goods. This is some good shit right here!" The locks clicked open as he lifted the lid. One side was piled with money, the other side with white powder in clear bags. "Nothing like some uncut cocain and a few grand to make a man happy."

His dark brown eyes looked up at us in glee. I never seen Angelo this excited before. He tossed up a small bundle of money to Jack, who didn't seem as excited at all.

"This is what's gonna happen. No one beside y'all know I'm here and I wanna keep it that way. I'm just gonna stay in my old room and I don't think no one's gonna go in there. Oh, and DO NOT touch ANY of this," he pointed to his 'goods', "or I'll have to cut your fingers off. Got it?"

Jack's face was priceless. It wasn't scared, worried, or taken back. He actually looked...enraged at the threat. Like, how dare he threaten him?

Angelo stood up and left the room, suitcase in hand. I laid back on my bed, still tired. It was still real late. Jack kicked his shoes off and took a spot next to me.

"Take the money. I don't need it or want it." I looked over at him as he stared at the ceiling, deep in thought. "You can go out and get yourself something...cute or whatever you people call it."

"What do you mean 'you people'? And why don't you want the money? You asked for it after all." I tried to give him a hard, serious face but it was hard with him.

"I meant you rich snobby girls and I only got the money so I can give it to you. What am I gonna do with it?" You could just tell he loved pushing my buttons. I jumped off the bed and stared down at him with the nastiest look I could conjure up.

"First off, I'm not snobby. Secondly, I'm not rich. Got it?" I poked him in his forehead as I spoke just to annoy him.

"What the hell are you gonna do about it? Beat me with one of your beloved stuffed animals? Huh?" He jumped up and grabbed me by the shoulders tightly. "You can't do nothing to me." Hahaha that's what he thinks. I jump on him, sending him to floor and pull my fist back like I'm going to punch him in the face.

"Hahaha You think you can hurt me little girl?" His hands grasped my hips and flipped me onto the floor as he hovered over me. "You need to remember who your dealing with, kid." His big hands pinned my much smaller ones on the floor over my head. What was there to do now? I didn't have the strength to flip him as easily as he could me. He was far too heavy for that.

You could see the humor in his dark eyes. It's a lot better than the coldness when he's thinking or drawing. I looked up at his smiling face, trying to think of something quick. He knew I was trapped, but there was no way in hell that I was accepting defeat that easily.

Lifting myself up under him, my lips found his neck. He became still, waiting to see what I was going to do next. "So, I'm just a kid? A little girl?" My breath was hot on his skin. There was one way I could get him.

"....Not fair..." I kissed his neck and starting sucking on it before he started shivering and dropped himself on me.

"Goddammit! Get off!" It knocked the breath out of me. He pulled himself up and off me. I sat up, trying to catch my breath. "Did I ever tell you that you're a fat fuck?"

"Sorry. It's your fault though. If you weren't using your sexiness against me I wouldn't of fell. You make me go weak. I'll have to remember that next time so I can be prepared." Cackling bastard.

"Shut up! Your lucky that you flipped me over cause if you didn't, I would have trashed your ass. Just so you know." He just kept laughing at me. I grabbed Sophie and hit him across the face with her. "Jerk."

"Can I be _your_ jerk?" His head cocked to the side as he stuck his tongue out, licking his scars. "Speaking about jerks, Angelo offered me a...job. Well, I guess that's what you could call it. I need something to do." His body rocked from side to side waiting for a reaction, a smirk on his face.

"Whoa whoa whoa. You're already _my_ jerk and you know it...And what kind of job? Oh, what are you getting bored with me? Am I not 'entertaining' enough for you?" A million question sped through my mind. Angelo was up to no good and was going to take Jack with him.

"Eh, just doing some little shit. Don't worry bout it, babe. It's just for a little while so I can get us out of this god forsaken room that we've been in for like 20 years. And NO, I'm definitely not bored with you. I enjoy your company very much. Honestly, I don't think I'll ever get bored of you."

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No one did notice Angelo staying in the house. My parents were oblivious to anything besides each other and everyone was doing their own thing.

It wasn't long before Angelo was taking Jack out during the night to do his_ job_. Neither of them would tell me what was actually going on, which pissed me off. One thing I hated, was to be left out.

Whatever Jack was doing, it was paying quite generously. He'd climb back into my window with gifts for me. Usually jewelry, clothing or something of the sort. The only thing he'd have for himself was usually a new weapon, which we hid in different parts of the room. Some were under the mattress or inside the box spring. Others hidden under the dresser or the rug.

He had a small collection of knives and a few guns. I'm not going to lie, I was a bit jealous. Whatever they were doing, I wanted in.

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"Ohhhh Adrian?" His cackle tempted me to turn around a smack him. I sat in front of my mirror trying to straighten my hair. Whenever he wanted something, he'd say that and cackle like a loon.

"Can't you see I'm doing something? What, are you hungry _again_?" I looked at him in the mirror and he gave me a sad look. Feeling guilty, I put down my straightener and turned to him. "God, why do you have to do that?"

He sucked on the inside of his scars, looking down act me. "It's not my fault I'm hungry. Anndddd it's not my fault you have me trapped up here with no food. If you were a good owner, you'd leave a bowl of food and water up here for me."

I snorted at him before wrapping my arms around his neck. "No one said you had to stay up here. It's not like I have you tied down, you know." His arms snaked around my waist, pulling me closer to him.

"I might like that, actually. I stay up here cause I want to be with you and I know you'll go down and bring me up yummies. Saves me the trip." He smiles down at me before cocking his head. "Plus your dad's a cop and I'm still wanted for questioning and possibly murder. So, I don't know how happy they'd be seeing my stroll from their daughters room into their kitchen. Not that I care or anything. Just want to save you the trouble."

He was too handsome to resist. The scars didn't matter to me. I didn't really see them. All I saw was Jack. I reached up to peck him on the lips and hug him. "You know, your lucky I like you so much. If I didn't, I'd tell you to take your own ass downstairs to make yourself something to eat."

I ran down the steps, wanting to do this as quick as possible.

"Oh, the vampire's out of her coffin." Maria stood against the wall, watching me come down from my room.

"Fuck off, before I cut your goddamn head off." I loved to see her eyes go all wide when I said things like that to her. It tickled me. My mom was in the kitchen drinking her coffee when she looked up after what I said to Maria.

"Don't talk to your sister like that. I'm getting too old for this, Adrian. I don't feel like having _another_ fight this morning. Why don't you do what you got to do and take your ass back upstairs. And Maria, just keep your mouth shut if you know what's good for you."

I shot her an evil look before getting stuff out of the fridge to make Jack a hoagie. You had to give it to him, the guy sure can eat. This is the second time I had to run down here to make his something and it's only 8 in the morning.

My dad walked in the door, tired and old looking. Stress from his job must be wearing him out. He raised an eyebrow at me not used to me being in the kitchen so early. Jack and I usually don't get up till around noon.

He didn't say anything to me, which didn't surprise me. We don't talk much. If we do, it usually ends up in a fight.

"Abri, can you make me some bacon please. I'm so tired." He sat with his newspaper at the table across from my mom. "The number or robberies and burglaries is sky rocketing. We don't even know where to start! By the time we get there, everyone's gone. No finger prints, nothing left behind and no one has a description of anyone. Christ, Gotham's driving me fucking nuts!"

I listened closely. I wasn't stupid, I know how to put two to two together. It got me excited. Guns, knives, robbery, all the works. It wasn't fair that Angelo and Jack got all the fun. What, cause I'm a girl? Fuck that. I can handle myself pretty well.

I ran back upstairs to Jack, who was playing with one of his knives on the floor and gave him his hoagie. "You're such a fatty. You're like a baby who needs to be fed every 2 hours." He looked up defensively.

"Screw you." I just laughed at him. He had such a dumb look on his face.

"You'd like that too much." That made him smile at least. That and probably the ginormous hoagie he can stuff his face with.

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I waited till Jack was asleep to go see Angelo. It didn't take long since he was usually tired after filling his gullet.

Angelo's room was down the hall where no one really goes. Maria, Tony and my parent's rooms were on the first floor so I had the whole second floor to myself. They had no reason to come up here so they don't.

I slowly opened the door and crept in trying not to make a sound. The ape was laying on his bed, gun in hand.

"Angelo?" He jumped up and pointed the gun at me. Oh shit.

"Jesus fucking christ!!! I didn't hear ya come in... Now I know what I gotta get next time I'm out. Fucking bells so I can tie them around your neck and Jack's. So goddamn quiet. Scared the shit outta me."

I thought my heart stopped. He slowly lowered his gun and sat up. "Asshole. Scared the shit outta you, huh? You're the one holding the gun up. Thought you were going to blow me away."

He put his gun down beside him and put a hand through his slicked back hair. "Alright, alright. You're lucky I stopped to think instead of just shooting. Any other circumstance I would've. So what brings you to my end of the hallway?"

"I want in on what you and Jack are up to. Don't play dumb with me either. I was downstairs this morning and dad was talking bout all these robberies and burglaries going on..."

He stared at me before bursting out in laughter. "You want in? Do you even know _what_ we do?" I thought about it for a few minutes.

"Well, you guys obviously rob places. It doesn't take a fucking genius to figure that one out." He scrunched his face up.

"You do know that there's more people involved than just me and Jack, right? There's a lot to it, Adrian. More than ya know. It's dangerous..can get real messy. You really wanna be part of what we do? And do you think I really want my baby sister getting killed or something?" I shot him a nasty look.

"I'm a quick learner and can figure shit out real quick. I don't care if there's 97654 people involved and I can handle myself, thank you very much." He sighed before standing up.

"Ok, I wanna see how hard you can punch. I don't wanna take you anywhere if you hit like a 4 year old girl." He tightened up his muscle in his beefy right arm for me to punch. I threw a heavy right fist as hard as I can into it. "Alright. Not bad. Can you shoot a gun? Never mind, I already know dad taught you how to...Fine, whatever. You can come but you've been warned. It ain't no game, ya hear? We're going to Gotham bank tomorrow night so you and Jack need to be ready. He already knows all the details."

This was going to be exciting. I jumped and gave him a bear hug. "Ok, ok none of this sissy shit. And none of this crap in front of the boys. Ya lose respect that way. And it's not my fault if ya get shot either... Don't think Jack's gonna be too happy bout this."

I wasn't thinking about what Jack would say. Honestly, I don't think I really cared. I wouldn't of thought Angelo would of cared what Jack wanted either...

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"What? No, no, no. There's no way that you're going. Over my cold, dead body."

"That can be arranged."

Jack wasn't happy about me going. Not one bit. I told him when he got up and he had a goat over it, or how ever you say it.

I sat on the bed as he paced back and forth in front of me. "Is it cause I'm a girl and you don't think I can handle myself or do anything right?"

His eyes were cold again and his upper body stiff. "Noooo. It's not that at all. I know you're perfectly capable of pulling something off." I just watched as he kept going.

"Then what the hell is it?!" He swopped down real low in front of me, his dark eyes softening.

"It's dangerous, real dangerous. I just don't want something happening to you, you know? I'd feel like shit if you got shot or something. These other guys don't mean nothing to me. If they get shot, that's it."

I leaned forward, laying my head on his shoulder. "I can do it, I'm telling you. I'll be fine. Nothing's gonna happen, I promise. You just need to go over the plan with me."

10 minutes must of went by before he said anything. His arms came around my back, pulling me closer to him. "If something happens, I'll kill your ass. I promise."


End file.
